Barman attempts to arrest Blair over ‘war crimes’

Tony Blair has played down an attempt by a bar worker to arrest him.

The former British prime minister was reportedly approached by Twiggy Garcia while he was dining with family and friends at Tramshed in London.

Mr Garcia told the politician he was making a citizen’s arrest on the grounds that he was a “war criminal” who had launched an “unprovoked war against Iraq”.

The barman told the Vice website: “I went over to him, put my hand on his shoulder and said: ‘Mr Blair, this is a citizen’s arrest for a crime against peace, namely your decision to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq. I am inviting you to accompany me to a police station to answer the charge.’

“He said: ‘No, shouldn’t you be worried about Syria?’ Then he asked me: ‘But don’t you agree that Saddam was a brutal dictator and he needed to be removed?’ and I replied ‘not by an illegal war’.”

Mr Garcia said Mr Blair’s companions stepped in after he again asked him to accompany him to a police station and he decided “to get out of there sharpish”.

Mr Garcia said he had resigned from his job.

A spokesman for Mr Blair said: “Mr Blair did offer to discuss the issue — that offer was declined.”